


We Stumble, We Falter (but we're no different from anyone)

by elrhiarhodan



Series: Birdsong [2]
Category: The Flash (TV 2014)
Genre: Adult relationship, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Empty Nest Syndrome, Established Relatationship, F/M, Fluff, Friendship, Grownups, Happy Ending, Harry Wells is a big ball of mush, Healthy Relationships, Hurt/Comfort, Jarrison, JellyQuest, Joe West is awesome, M/M, Schmoop, Slash, Weddings, all the feels, letting go, marriage proposals, parenting, respect, westallen - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-06-19
Updated: 2016-06-21
Packaged: 2018-07-16 02:00:05
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 12,505
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7247605
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/elrhiarhodan/pseuds/elrhiarhodan
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Set about five years after <a href="http://archiveofourown.org/works/6638164">The Silence Between the Birdsong</a>, Joe West and Harry Wells are in a relationship that is much more than casual.  Harry, however, is having some difficulty accepting that his brilliant daughter is going to be building her own life with the man she loves.  Joe, who has never been shy about expressing his feelings for this difficult man, is the voice of common sense.</p><p>STORY IS COMPLETE</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Written for [Ladyofpride's](http://archiveofourown.org/users/ladyofpride/pseuds/ladyofpride) Harrison Wells Appreciation Month. I was lucky enough to get a chance to write Harry interacting with both Jesse and with Wally West, but this is first and foremost, a Jarrison fic with all the Jarrison feels I could manage, and then some.
> 
> Many thanks to my heroic beta readers, [Theatregirl7299](http://archiveofourown.org/users/Theatregirl7299/pseuds/Theatregirl7299) and [Kyele](http://archiveofourown.org/users/Kyele/pseuds/Kyele), who did a magnificent job of whipping this into shape.
> 
> The title is from the Annie Lennox song, The Gift.

"Hey, Dad?" 

Joe turned around to find Wally standing in the kitchen doorway, looking unexpectedly ill at ease, and he turned the temperature on the red sauce he was making down to a very low simmer. He had the feeling that this 'Hey, Dad' was going to take a while.

"What's up?"

"I – uh – " Wally shuffled his feet and dropped his chin to his chest, looking more like a surly teenager than a twenty-five year-old Ph.D. with a bright and shining future. "Look, can we go for a walk?"

Joe scratched the side of his face and played it a little diffidently. "Company's coming in a few."

"Company's just Harry and he has a key. And that's kind of why I'd like to go for a walk."

Joe frowned. He and Harry had been together for the better part of four years and Wally hadn't so much as blinked when they'd made their relationship public. "Son?"

Wally bit his lip. "It's not _about_ Harry, I just don't want him walking in while we're talking, okay?"

Joe let out a tiny sigh of relief. "Okay, just hold on." He turned the burner on the sauce pan completely off and penned out a quick note for his partner.

The early evening was a little chilly and Joe grabbed his jacket and beanie from the coat rack before they headed out. Wally didn't say anything and Joe didn't ask. As a cop, Joe knew that there were times in an interrogation that called for patience, and he waited for Wally to speak. They got to the small playground a few blocks from the house, and Joe followed Wally through the gate into the park. They settled against the jungle gym and as Wally continued with the silent treatment, Joe found his patience coming close to the limit. 

Sometimes it was easier being a cop than a dad. 

"What's the matter?"

Wally took a deep breath, looked at Joe with his heart in his eyes and said, "I want to ask Jesse to marry me."

Joe wasn't terribly surprised. 

Jesse Wells and his son had been seeing each other exclusively for years, since she and Harry had come back from Earth-2 and made this universe their permanent home. He'd worried, just a little bit, because as smart as his son was, Jesse could run rings around him, intellectually. Case in point, she was working on her third advanced degree, while Wally had just finished his first (and from what he’d said after his dissertation defense, his only) doctorate.

But Wally wasn't at all jealous or diminished by Jesse's genius; he was her greatest cheerleader, even more than the overprotective lion otherwise known as Harry Wells.

Joe hugged his son, but asked, "You're ready for this commitment? Marriage isn't like buying a car. You don't buy it and five years later, trade it in for a newer model."

Wally didn't even blink at that last comment. "You know, I've never actually _purchased_ a car. But more to the point, I can't imagine my life without her. I think about the future and all I see is Jesse there with me, at my side."

Wally smiled and Joe was struck to the heart at the utter sweetness of it, all the love shining from his son's eyes.

But he wouldn't be a father if he didn't offer a word or two of caution. "You're both young, you know. You have time. There's no need to rush into marriage."

"I know. And I've thought a lot about that. I have a great job and can support her." Wally did, as a team leader at the rebuilt Mercury Labs. Barry and Harry and Jesse had all been a little piqued that Wally was working for the competition, so to speak, but also understood that he needed to stand on his own – at least for now. 

"And I know that's really old-fashioned of me, but –" Wally shrugged in self-deprecation.

"You won't have to because Jesse can support herself, but it's important to you that you can." That was Francine's legacy, her gift to their son. 

"Exactly. Mom always wanted me to know how important it was to be able to take care of the people I love, to stand on my own. I make enough to get a good apartment for us." He gave Joe a sidelong glance. "And yes, when we get married, we're going to live in our own place."

Joe chuckled. Over the last few years, every time Wally had made noise about getting his own place, Joe made it clear that there was no need. And he'd done his best to respect his son's need for independence – and the privacy that having a steady girlfriend required. Of course, it was sometimes a little awkward. Sometimes Harry would be at Joe’s place and Wally would be with Jesse at her house just a few blocks away, and on more the one occasion, father and boyfriend passed each other on their walks home in the early morning hours. Or as Joe took delight in calling it, "the West-Wells Walk of Shame".

"Okay, so you really want to do this?"

"Yeah, Dad. I do. I know we're young but she's the one for me and I think I'm the one for her. And if I'm not the one for her, I hope she tells me now."

Joe didn't doubt that Jesse would speak her mind. She was that type of girl. No, _woman_. She was a woman and Joe had to remember that (after all, how many times had Iris schooled him on his antediluvian speech patterns?).

"So, when are you going to pop the question?"

"Was thinking tomorrow, at dinner. I have reservations at Baldacci's. Told her it's sort of a 'just-because I love you' romantic dinner."

Joe nodded. "What about a ring?"

"I have Mom's. She gave it to Iris, but Iris thought that I should have it."

Joe remembered scraping together the money to buy Francine that tiny diamond. "It's kind of small – maybe you'd like to get Jesse something a bit more important."

Wally shrugged. "Maybe."

It suddenly hit Joe like a bullet. "Your mom kept that ring, despite everything. Even when she needed money to put food on the table, she kept the ring." When she'd left, Francine had left behind her wedding band, but not her engagement ring.

Wally nodded. "I know she pawned it a few times, and there were a lot of nights I'm pretty sure she went hungry to save up to buy it back. So yeah, it would mean a lot to me if Jesse wore Mom's ring."

Joe couldn't help himself and pulled his son into a hard hug and let go. "You are the best son any parent could ever want. I'm so proud of you, Wallace West. Don't ever forget that."

He felt, more than heard, Wally's little sniffle. "Do you think Harry will be just as proud?"

_Ah, that's the crux of the matter._ "Absolutely. There is no reason that he wouldn't be proud to have you as part of his family."

"He's so intense and so protective of Jesse. She's struggled sometimes with that."

"They've been through a lot. It's rough being a single parent, and Harry's not the type of guy who relaxes about anything after everything he's been through."

"I know." Wally kicked at the dirt. "I just want – want Harry to see me as good enough for Jesse."

Joe understood. "Do you want me to talk to him?"

"No – I think I have to. Man up, you know?"

"You're going to ask him permission for Jesse's hand?" Joe tried not to smile at the old-fashioned notion.

"Hell no! Jesse's her own person. She's an adult." Wally toned down his outrage. "I just want to make sure he's okay with me. As Jesse's husband." Wally's voice took on an almost-reverential quality with that last word.

"I'm sure he is, son." Joe clapped Wally on the shoulder. "Let's go home. Harry's probably there, waiting for us."

"For _you_. I'm picking up Jesse and we're having dinner with Barry and Iris tonight."

"Give the newlyweds my love."

"As if you can't do that yourself. It's not like you don't see Barry every day. Or Iris."

"I know – I know. I'm just being polite."

They walked back to the house, and Wally took off without going back inside. As expected, Harry was already there, there was a plastic container filled with baked goods on the counter, and he working on the red sauce. 

"Smells good." Joe kissed his partner on the cheek and swiped a spoon to taste the sauce. "Mmm, tastes better than it smells."

Harry gave him a look. "Everything okay?"

"Yeah, fine." Joe wasn't going to spoil the surprise.

"And Wally? Everything good there?" 

Joe nodded, warmed by Harry's concern for his son. "He just needed some perspective on something. I thought a little fresh air might help."

Harry's lips quirked up in a slight smile. "Must be nice having a kid who actively seeks out your advice. Can't remember the last time Jesse asked for my opinion on anything."

"What were you like at her age? Did you ask your parents for their opinion about anything?"

"Of course not – my parents …" Harry's voice trailed off, as if he was unhappy with the memory. "And at twenty-two I was the opposite of Jesse, surly, self-centered, too smart for my own good, too obsessed with my own intelligence and my latest projects. I was contemptuous of anyone and anything that wasn't going to get me what I needed." Harry chuckled. "Not much different than I am now."

Joe didn't agree with half of Harry's self-assessment, but there was no point in contradicting him. "Hah. But now you're also a bad-ass marshmallow."

"Who are you calling a bad-ass?" Harry grinned. "I thought I was a smart-ass."

"And a very pretty ass, too." Joe patted the ass in question before pushing Harry out of the way to set a pot of water to boil.

They puttered around the kitchen, sharing meal prep duties, and Joe could see Harry slipping back into melancholy. Not one to let anyone he loved suffer, Joe wrapped his arms around Harry and rested his chin on his shoulder. "What's really the matter? You can tell me."

"I'm losing her, Joe." Harry let out a short sigh. "I know that Jesse's her own person, she's twenty-two years old, she's going to want to move out, move in with Wally soon enough. And she's entitled. If we were back on the other Earth, she'd have spread her wings a long time ago. But I'm ..."

 _Heartbroken._ Joe knew this was something that couldn't easily be fixed except with time and patience. "They call it 'empty nest' syndrome." Joe rubbed his cheek against Harry's, loving the scratchiness of the two-day old scruff on his partner's cheek, "Which is something I've yet to have the chance to experience."

Harry didn't laugh, though. "You will, soon enough."

"And I'm looking forward to that day."

Harry turned in his arms. "You are?"

"Hmm, absolutely."

Harry was clearly confused. "Why? Why are you looking forward to Wally moving out?"

Joe kissed Harry on the nose. "So I can walk around naked, use all the hot water, watch porn with you in the living room. So we can fuck ourselves stupid on the couch on a Sunday afternoon and not have to worry about traumatizing the kids."

"Ahh, I guess there are some … benefits."

"Yes, there are. And not to make light of the pleasure of an empty nest, you just have to know when to let them go. And it's time." Joe couldn't say anything more. He didn't want to spoil Wally's surprise.

Harry leaned into him, muttering, "But I don't want to."

Joe sighed and let Harry cling to him. Despite his comments about enjoying the empty nest, he understood those feelings all too well. "What are you afraid of?" Joe rubbed a soothing hand up and down his partner's back.

Harry shuddered against him and whispered, "Not being needed anymore."

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

Five-thirty Saturday morning found Harry Wells walking back to his house, just a few blocks away.

Most nights he spent at Joe's he didn't have a problem staying until morning, waking up beside him, having breakfast with him and with Wally. But there were times – like tonight – when he was restless, anxious, and despite Joe's assurance that he wasn't disturbing his own sleep, too keyed up to just lie in the dark and stare at the ceiling.

"You don't have to go." Joe had reached out and grabbed his hand. "I'll get up and make breakfast."

"No, go back to sleep, it's not even dawn yet. I'm going to head home. Come over in a few hours and _I'll_ make breakfast." Harry had leaned over and kissed Joe, and when Joe had cupped a hand around the back of his neck, he'd almost let himself get pulled back in.

"Come on, want you. Want you to stay."

It would have been so easy to give into Joe's sleepy pleadings. But Harry had felt like there was a timer in the background, ticking down the moments of his life with Jesse. "Not this morning."

Joe understood and had reluctantly let him go. "See you later?"

"Of course." Even if Joe didn't come for breakfast, he would see him in the evening. Saturday nights were theirs and absent some attempt to destroy Central City, they would go do something their kids considered totally lame in a hip sort of way. 

Harry dressed, not bothering to shower – he'd take care of that at his house – and headed out. Four years ago, he had bought a small bungalow-style house three blocks and an easy five-minute walk away from the Wests' home. 

Maybe if he hadn't picked a place so close, Jesse and Wally wouldn't have gotten so close… 

He shook his head at that line of thought. Proximity had had nothing to do with their relationship. He'd seen Wally's face when Jesse had walked back through the portal, the joy and the relief that someone he cared about had come back. Jesse could have been across the country, not three blocks away, and it wouldn't have made a difference. 

That young man was in love, and that was something Harry understood. He would have followed Tessa to the moon if she's wanted to settle there. And he'd crossed dimensions for Joe.

Jesse had left the porch light on for him, a subtle note that she was home and in her own bed. Harry wondered, though, if she was alone. Caught up in his melancholy thoughts, he hadn't noticed if Wally's car was near Joe's. He turned to see if it was parked nearby, but he didn't find it. 

Wally loved cars, which was kind of ridiculous, since he could run many times faster than the top speed of even the fastest land vehicle created. 

He let himself in and listened carefully, not that he could tell if there were two heartbeats in one of the upstairs bedrooms, but just to make sure he wasn't going to walk past Jesse's room and get an earful of things no father should ever hear.

It was quiet and still and Harry left his shoes by the door, sliding his feet into the old-man slippers Jesse gave him as a gag-gift last year, to go with the dad sweaters he favored now instead of the sharp suits he'd once worn like armor. So what if the slippers were for the geriatric crowd? They were comfortable and he had an identical pair at Joe's.

He didn't pause as he passed Jesse's door, heading straight for his bedroom. He had no plans to go back to sleep, just to shower off yesterday's grime and eau de Joe West. 

By six, Harry was clean and dressed and in the kitchen, savoring the first cup of coffee. His brain felt a little fuzzy and he picked up a book of mathematical puzzles to help pass the time, and then tossed the pencil down in frustration. If he weren't such an over-emotional idiot, he would still be in bed with Joe, probably enjoying some early-morning nookie.

So he sighed, sipped his coffee and contemplated his ridiculousness. As the sky turned pale pink with the rising sun, he heard Jesse start to move about and a few minutes later, come bounding down the stairs. Alone.

"Hey you." She leaned over, kissed his cheek, and helped herself to his coffee. "Surprised you're back here."

"Was a little restless, no need to deprive Joe of an extra couple of hours sleep."

Jesse leaned back against the counter, looking too much like her mother. "You have become a most considerate partner."

"Become?"

"Dad – you had a reputation as an asshole, a real love 'em and leave 'em kind of guy. You never spent the night with anyone."

"I didn't date."

"No, you just had a string of – "

Harry lifted a hand, cutting his daughter off. "Enough out of you, young lady."

Jesse laughed and kissed his forehead. "I'm giving you the business. Just because I can."

"Ah, okay." He retrieved his coffee cup and refilled it, then poured one for his daughter.

"You going out for a run?"

Jesse nodded. "Yup, Barry should be here in – " She checked her phone, "about three minutes. Just enough time for one of these." She unwrapped one of Cisco's nutrition bars and started gnawing on it.

"You know he's perpetually late." Harry sipped his coffee. 

Jesse chewed and swallowed. "The three minutes is factoring in his tardiness."

"Wally's not joining you this morning?" The three speedsters regularly crossed the continent on Saturday mornings.

Jesse shook her head. "Nope, he said he had something he wanted to take care of first thing this morning. And we're going out to dinner tonight – just the two of us."

That was unusual. Jesse and Wally, Barry and Iris, Cisco, Hartley and Caitlin, often socialized together, particularly on Saturday nights. "Anything wrong with the posse?"

"Nah. Wally said he just wants a little time with just me. He's picked out a nice restaurant and everything. So I've got a salon appointment this afternoon."

A tiny cold ball of dread formed in Harry's belly – the anticipation of loss. He waited for Jesse to continue, but she didn't seem to feel the need to add anything else, and then Barry arrived and the two of them took off. 

Harry pulled out the ingredients for pancakes. He needed something to keep him busy, and short of heading over to the lab and working on upgrades to the three speedsters’ communications systems, there was nothing that required his attention. Of course he had a myriad of projects there that could get him into serious mischief, but those were best not contemplated on a beautiful autumn morning.

It didn't take too long to get the batter ready and the griddle prepared. He'd start cooking in about an hour and have a few dozen ready for the hungry speedsters on their return. In this strangely domestic life, he'd learned to enjoy cooking – and frankly, having an appreciative and hungry eater made it worthwhile. 

Unless he was in the mood to bake, he generally stuck to simple things like pancakes for breakfast, casseroles for dinner – variations on what Joe cooked. Neither of them were particularly fussy and their tastes were surprisingly complementary, like so many other parts of their lives. 

It made for a good relationship.

Harry didn't really like to think too hard on what he and Joe had. From the beginning, it was more than just casual – at least for him. When he’d found Joe adding his house key to Harry’s keyring, Harry had known it was more than casual for Joe, too. Yet they never really spoke about it; they never defined what "they" were to each other. If they were out and socializing, Joe would refer to him as his "partner" and Harry thanked the powers that be for that, because at fifty-something, he was no one's "boyfriend". So, he followed Joe's lead and used the term "partner" on the very rare occasion he had to talk about his domestic situation.

But in the privacy of his mind, Harry preferred the more intimate word, "lover". Also, "best friend". Also, if he was feeling particularly shameless, "husband".

_As if that would ever happen._

It was still too early to start making pancakes, and Harry was getting the itch. He needed to do something, make something, if just to have the momentary satisfaction of creation.

Brownies. Double-chocolate with salted caramel and chili-spiced candied walnuts. There was a recipe he wanted to try and the pantry was stocked with the necessary ingredients. Joe would definitely appreciate them.

There was an old saying, "cooking is art, but baking is science", one Harry hadn't appreciated until he discovered how soothing baking was to his soul. He loved the detail, the precision, the chemistry and the physics required, and baking was a lot less likely to result in loss of life and property and reputation.

When he had been an obnoxious eighteen year old with his second Ph.D. hanging on the wall, certain that he’d been going to be the youngest physicist to win a Nobel, he had asked his academic advisor about a huge and potentially world-changing project. The woman had laughed at him and told him that he’d needed to get a hobby. "Take up knitting. Or wood working. Do something with your hands. You'll burn out if you don't."

Harry had scoffed at the advice. He’d had plenty of things to occupy his time. He ran, he boxed, he managed a lab, he wrote scathing rebuttals in six different languages to the idiots who published crap in peer-reviewed science journals. He didn't need another hobby.

Then came Tessa and he became a different person. She taught him that brilliance without compassion, science without ethics, progress without empathy, was pointless and cruel and wasteful.

After he lost her, he'd all but forgotten those lessons. Not until the people here, with their sacrifices, their commitment, their endless well of love and compassion and empathy, reminded him of what never should have been lost.

And along with that came the realization that his advisor hadn’t been wrong. That having a hobby – something completely unrelated to his job – would help keep him sane and more importantly, out of trouble. 

So he baked.

Harry pulled up the recipe and was about to collect the ingredients from the pantry when the doorbell rang. He checked the security camera, and was surprised to see Wally. He wiped his hands, and went to let the young man in.

"Hey, Doctor Wells."

Harry raised an eyebrow at Wally's use of his title. It had been at least three years since he'd joined the club and started calling him "Harry" like the rest of Team Flash. But it was nice to be reminded of who he was.

So he repaid the favor. "What can I do for you, Doctor West."

His use of Wally's newly bestowed title earned him a bright smile and he gestured for him to enter. 

"Jesse isn't home – she and Barry are out running. She said you were busy this morning and couldn't join them. Did she misunderstand?"

"No, not at all. I actually came over to see you."

"Oh, okay." Harry was getting that feeling again, the sick little knot in the pit of his stomach. He wondered if this had anything to do with the conversation Wally had with Joe yesterday. "Is everything okay?"

"Fine, really fine."

"Good." Looking for a way to stave off the inevitable, Harry asked, "Can I feed you? I have pancakes ready to go on the griddle."

"Sure, that would be terrific. Can I do anything?"

"Nope, I've got it under control."

Despite Harry's admonition, Wally set the table – as familiar with this kitchen as he was with his own.

"How is life at Mercury Labs?"

"You know I really can't talk about my work."

"Not asking for anything confidential. Just want to know how you are enjoying working for the competition."

"Hardly the competition. It's not like S.T.A.R. Labs is producing anything these days."

"Or so you'd like to think." This was an old argument. Wally would claim that S.T.A.R. Labs existed just to support Team Flash (which wasn't _that_ far from the truth) but what Wally wouldn't acknowledge was that so many of the advancements that he and Cisco had developed for the speedsters they protected (Wally West amongst them), were retooled and marketed to Central City and other municipalities. S.T.A.R. Labs was a money-making operation, albeit on a much smaller scale than Mercury.

As Harry flipped the pancakes, Wally filled him in – in the most general of terms – about his project team at Mercury. "I like it there, I like how Doctor McGee lets me run with my theories. At the end of the day, I have to back everything up and justify the project direction, but she trusts my skills."

Harry nodded. "Micromanagement can be the antithesis of progress."

"If there's a downside, it's that I don't have much time to work on my own projects."

"Oh?" That piqued Harry's interest. Maybe _this_ was why Wally had come over. "What are you working on?"

Of course, it involved engines and streamlining, and while flow dynamics in macro-engineering wasn't Harry’s field, he wasn't completely ignorant in the subject. When he was Wally's age, he might have published a paper on the topic as it related to subatomic structures.

They ate and talked and enthused (or _scienced,_ as Joe might say) and Harry felt energized. It wasn't quite the same feeling he got when working with Cisco; this was pure theory, something he loved almost as much as getting down into the weeds of creation.

"I'm surprised you don't teach." Wally mopped up the last of the maple syrup with the last pancake and leaned back with a sigh of satisfaction. 

Harry began another batch of batter. "The thought's crossed my mind, but it's kind of hard with this face."

"Still?"

"Yeah, still." It didn't bother him. He liked having an excuse to stay out of the limelight.

"It's not fair, though." 

Wally’s outrage on his behalf was sweet. "It's okay. I've got my own captive audience most of the time. And I don't have to grade papers."

Wally chuckled. "Yeah, and somehow I don't think Team Flash would enjoy your pop quizzes."

"You're part of the team, Doctor West, and I think you'd do very well on my exams."

Once again, the use of Wally's new title earned him a blindingly bright smile.

"Um, Doctor Wells – "

Whatever Wally was going to say was interrupted by the arrival of the other two speedsters in Harry's life. Barry had finally mastered the art of arriving without sending all the papers in the room scattering, but Jesse was still working on her control, and as she nyoomed into the kitchen, every bit of stray paper went flying. Wally, though, felt the need to show off and caught everything before it hit the ground.

Harry watched his daughter greet her boyfriend and cast a glance over at Barry, who was giving the pair an indulgent smile, like he knew a secret.

"Breakfast?"

Jesse broke off from cuddling with Wally, and said, "Sure – just give me a few minutes to shower and change?"

Barry shook his head in mock disgust, "You know, Jesse, one of the benefits of being a speedster is that you really don't need a few minutes. A few seconds is all it takes."

Jesse snarked back, "And that's okay if you don't mind looking like a tornado victim all the time." At that, Jesse headed upstairs. Slowly, sedately.

Barry chuckled at his Jesse's performance. "I'm going to pass on breakfast, Harry. I promised Iris I'd pick up some bagels on the way home." 

Harry nodded. He liked seeing Barry so settled; he'd been through far too much tragedy and deserved all the happiness in the world.

Barry sped off, leaving him and Wally. "You were about to ask me something?"

Wally smiled and shook his head. "No, it's cool. I'm going to head home – I didn't run, so I don't think I can go for another round of breakfast. Do you want me to tell Dad you've got pancakes on the menu? I don't think he's constitutionally capable of passing up on pancakes. Especially yours."

"That would be nice, and thank you."

"No problem, and thanks, Doctor Wells."

"It's Harry – and for what?"

"For everything."

He watched Wally head back to Joe's house and had a feeling he'd just dodged a bullet.

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

Sunday morning was almost a repeat of Saturday. Once again, too many hours before dawn, Harry woke up, restless and agitated, fighting with the need to leave and the desire to stay.

And like most mornings, he was wrapped in Joe's arms. His lover had many things in common with an octopus. But it made it difficult to get out of bed without waking him.

Harry managed to get free, but of course, in the process, he woke Joe.

"Where are you going?" Joe slurred.

"Bathroom." Right now, that was the truth.

"You're coming back to bed, right?"

Harry didn't answer right away. 

Joe sat up and turned on the lamp. "Please, don't go."

There was something in Joe's tone that made Harry's heart ache. "Just warning you, I don't think I'll be able to fall back to sleep."

"So? I'm sure I can think of something to occupy the early morning hours." Joe's sleepy smile wasn't the least bit salacious. Just gentle and loving, like the man himself.

"Okay, I'll be right back. Keep the bed warm."

Harry took care of his business, even brushed his teeth, and went back into the bedroom to find the sheets and blankets straightened, the pillows fluffed, and Joe reading something on his tablet, his glasses perched on the tip of his nose. When Joe looked up and smiled, Harry wondered how could be so lucky as to have this man in his life.

Joe put down the tablet. "What's the matter?"

"Just thinking how much I love you." He wished he could say those words more often.

Joe held out his hand and drew him back into bed. "I love you, too."

Harry let out a deep sigh of contentment. "Thank you."

"For what?" Joe leaned over him.

"For everything. For being the man you are. For seeing me." Harry relaxed against Joe, relishing the warmth and the strength of his lover's body.

Joe kissed him, a gentle benediction. "That sentiment goes both ways. You are important to me, you make me happy."

Harry kissed Joe back, with as much need as passion. He relished Joe's hands on his body, taking the lead, taking control. Neither he nor Joe subscribed to any particular role in bed. Sometimes Joe topped, sometimes he topped. Nothing mattered but the pleasure they took in each other and gave to each other.

The biggest different between the two of them was that Joe had an incredibly filthy mouth when it came to sex. Or maybe it was just that he didn't bother with filters when they were in bed together. "Want me to fuck you?" 

Harry swallowed against the rising desire. "No, I think I want to fuck you."

Joe laughed and Harry enjoyed that as much as he enjoyed Joe's hands on his ass. "I'm up for that."

And he certainly was.

Both of them took advantage of their post-coital bliss and dozed until the alarm on Joe's phone went off at seven.

Muttering something about it being his turn to feed the kids, Joe didn't give Harry a chance to go home. They shared a shower, dressed and were downstairs when Wally _and_ Jesse walked in the door.

Harry couldn't miss the silent communication between father and son, nor could he miss his daughter's look of delight. Wally was holding Jesse's hand, but Harry was pretty certain there was a ring on it.

Jesse smiled, then pursed her lips together, still smiling. "Dad."

"Jesse?" Harry put on his brightest smile.

"Wally asked me if I would marry him. I said yes."

He had a feeling this was coming, of course. The special romantic dinner last night and Wally's somewhat cryptic visit yesterday morning had tipped him off. Faced with his child's obvious happiness and his own affection for Joe's son, all he could do was hug Jesse and tell her how happy he was.

And do the same with Wally, once his father finished smothering him.

"I think this calls for a toast." Joe pulled a container of orange juice out of the fridge and followed it up with a bottle of sparkling wine that had been hanging around for the past few months. The mimosas were heavy on the wine, which was fine with Harry, who thought that getting a little drunk right now wasn't such a bad idea.

Joe touched glasses with his son, with Jesse, with him, and made the toast, "As my Grandma Rose would say, _L'chaim_. To life." 

They all repeated, "To life."

Harry let the conversation the followed wash over him, making sure he smiled at all the important moments. He admired the ring, not commenting on the tiny diamond, especially when Jesse said how honored she was to get to wear the ring Joe had given to Wally's mother. 

There was a box in a vault on another world with three rings. The first was the engagement ring that he'd given Tessa when he asked her to marry him, and it had a stone possibly half the size of the one Jesse was now wearing. The second ring was the ten-carat monstrosity he'd gotten for Tessa after Jesse was born. She'd worn it twice. The third ring was Tessa's wedding band. He'd thought about burying it with her, but instead put his ring in her coffin.

He'd forgotten about them. Maybe Cisco would open the portal for him and he could retrieve them - if just for his daughter's sake.

"Dad?"

"Hmm, what?" He refocused on the family in front of him. "What's the matter?"

Jesse was clutching Wally's hand. "We're going to take off and go tell Barry and Iris. See you later?"

"Of course, sweetheart." He hugged her again, breaking her hold on Wally. He whispered, "I'm so happy for you, my Jesse Quick." 

He turned to Wally, and hugged him again, with a touch less enthusiasm. "Take care of my girl."

"Of course, sir."

The happy couple left, hand-in-hand, and Harry let out a sigh. "You knew this was coming."

"Yeah. Wally told me on Friday night that he was going to ask Jesse."

"And you didn't tell me?"

Joe shrugged. "Wally asked me not to, he said he wanted to talk to you himself."

"Ah. I had a feeling this was coming. Of course you know he stopped by yesterday morning. I did my best to distract him. I didn't want to hear it."

"He's a good kid."

"He's twenty-five, Joe. He's a man."

"I know, I know - but he's still my kid. He'll be my kid when he's twice that age. The point is, though, that he wanted to make sure that you thought he was good enough for your daughter."

Harry smiled, he couldn't help it. "Of course he is. He's _your_ son."

"And you know I didn't really have a hand in raising him. I got him fully formed."

"He's still your son, Joe. He's everything that's good and decent and honorable. He's committed to making the world a better place. He's a brilliant engineer. He loves my daughter and he's probably the only person who can truly understand who and what she is. How could I not think he's good enough?"

Joe wrapped his arms around him, and kissed his temple. "Because she's your daughter, Harry. And I know you. I know just what you're going through, remember?"

Harry relaxed into Joe's embrace. "I know, I know."

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::


	2. Chapter 2

**Six Weeks Later**

For the last few weeks Joe had kept a very careful eye on Harry. His partner seemed like he was on the verge of an minor emotional breakdown. It was in the small things, like a diminished appetite, a lack of interest in taking the lead in sex, but a desperate neediness for Joe to make the first move. Some nights, Harry would cling to him like a limpet. Other nights, they'd make love and he'd be out the door before the sweat dried.

Joe understood. Harry was losing his little girl.

This morning, the pair had arrived for breakfast holding hands and looking like they'd invented love. As always, when faced with the reality of his daughter's impending marriage, Harry displayed an unreserved happiness. But once the kids had left, Harry muttered something about needing to go out.

Joe didn't stop him, but being the overprotective bastard that he was, tracked Harry's progress for the next few hours as he ran through the streets of Central City at a human pace.

Around three o'clock, and just a little worried, Joe went to look for his partner. He'd found Harry sitting on a park bench overlooking the hills, on the opposite side of Central City. His lover was sweaty and disheveled, his gaze distant. Joe sat down next to him and handed him a flask of hot coffee. Despite the mid-afternoon sun, it was getting chilly.

"You're too good to me, Joe." Harry kept staring out into the distance. "You are always taking care of me."

"It's my job. I take care of the people I love." Joe knew using that word was a calculated risk. While Harry had made the first move all those years ago, Joe had been the first to say it, and he wasn't shy about saying it regularly. Harry was a little less forthcoming, and didn't always reply in kind. But that didn't matter to Joe; he didn't need to hear the words to know the feeling was reciprocated.

Harry fiddled with the flask, opening it up and closing it again without taking a sip. "I don't know if I deserve your love, Joe West. I'm an asshole."

"Yeah, you are. But only sometimes. And that doesn't mean you don't deserve my love." He casually draped an arm across the back of the park bench and counted the seconds before Harry leaned into him.

"I don't understand why this is wrecking me. Jesse and Wally are perfect for each other; they love and respect each other. I look at them and know that they have such a wonderful future ahead of themselves. But I feel like I'm such a selfish bastard."

Joe leaned his head against Harry's. They'd had this conversation before. "Jesse's been your focus for so long. You've raised her, protected her, crossed universes for her. It's natural that you're feeling lost now that she's getting ready for a life without you."

"Is it, Joe? It feels obsessive and cruel. Not just to Jesse, but to you, too. I love you and yet I can't let that be my happiness. Why?"

Joe ignored the warm burst of feeling at Harry's declaration. That wasn't what was important now. Instead he says, "Stop being such a scientist. Feelings are irrational. There is no mathematical formula to define the human heart."

"That may be, but I shouldn't feel like this. I should be happy for Jesse and Wally."

"You're not?" Worried, Joe sat up and looked at Harry's face.

"No, I put that badly. I _am_ happy for them. I am happy that my daughter will be marrying someone who is so right for her. I am happy for Wally, who'll be marrying someone who is so right for him. I'm just miserable for myself. Like I said before, I'm an asshole."

Joe understood his lover's feelings. They'd talked about Harry's inescapable feelings of impending loss, his inability to let go. It was going to take time. Harry was going to have to find his own peace. He'd help him any way he could, as much as he could. But he had something to share, something that might take his partner's mind off his own feelings.

"Barry and Iris stopped by this afternoon."

"Ah. And how are the blissfully happy couple?"

"Even more blissfully happy, if that's possible."

"I can't help but envy you."

"Why?" A brisk wind picked up and Joe pulled Harry a little closer.

"How perfect is it that your daughter is married to your foster son? Family stays family and grows exponentially."

"Do I have to point out that your daughter is marrying _my_ son? It's kind of the same thing."

"Damn you, Joe. Why do you have to be so logical?" There was no heat in that admonition, just weary resignation.

"And speaking of family growth, in a few months, ours is going to get a little bigger …" Joe let the sentence trail off, waiting for the smartest man he knew to make the connection.

_5 … 4 … 3 … 2 …_

Harry sat up and looked shocked. "Wait, wait, what do you mean?"

Joe just looked at Harry and smiled, letting all the fullness of his heart pour out.

"Iris, Barry – they're going to be parents? Iris is pregnant?"

"Yup. And even better, I'm going to be a grandfather." Joe couldn't keep the smugness out of his voice.

Harry blinked rapidly.

Joe continued, "And that will mean you're going to be a grandfather, too. Because those kids, especially Barry, are as much yours as they are mine, now." He felt Harry shiver. "Come on, let's get home." Joe pulled his dumbfounded partner to his feet and steered him to the car.

They were about halfway home when Harry finally spoke. "A baby."

"Yes. A baby."

"How is that even possible?"

"Um, do I really need to explain the birds and the bees to _you?_ "

"No, no – that's not what I mean. Barry's a meta-human, his fertility should have been affected. His entire DNA structure was affected."

"So you're saying that meta-humans shouldn't be able to reproduce? That they're sterile?"

"Mutations on that scale generally are."

"Well, Barry is fertile, and Iris is two and a half months pregnant. We're going to be grandparents, Harrison Wells. I call dibs on 'Paw-Paw', so you'll need to get your own nickname."

Harry seemed to ignore him. "That means Wally and Jesse could have children, too. I hadn't thought that was a possibility."

Joe pulled to a stop at a traffic light and looked at Harry. For the first time in weeks, there was a genuine smile on his face. "That's right. In a few years, you could be a grandfather again. _I'll_ be a grandfather again."

The light changed and Joe turned for home. Harry just leaned back in the seat, that smile still on his face as he whispered with reverence, "Grandchildren".

Harry was silent for the rest of the ride home, but something had changed. The quiet desperation that had seemed to drift around his partner like a noxious fog had cleared. Joe parked the car and Harry practically bounded up to the house.

This mood swing troubled him, and while he was pleased to see Harry happy, he couldn't help but worry, too.

Joe waited until they'd finished dinner and were relaxing on the couch before saying anything. "What's going on?"

"What do you mean?"

"You seem unusually happy."

Harry looked at him, a wry smile on his face. "Yes, I think I am."

"The news about Iris' pregnancy is that important to you? That Jesse and Wally could have kids if they wanted?"

Harry didn't answer immediately and Joe could see the wheels turning. "It's hard to explain."

Joe got up and poured each of them a glass of good scotch. "Try."

"Like I've told you too many times, I'm having a difficult time letting Jesse go."

Joe nodded.

"It's not that I don't want to let her go, to let her grow up and be everything she can and should be."

"I understand. She was the center of your world for so long."

"What I have had such a hard time articulating is why I've been feeling this way." Harry sipping the scotch. "It's not that she's no longer the center of my universe. It's that she doesn't need me anymore. I know it's not rational, but until now, I felt like I didn't have a purpose anymore. I felt unmoored, adrift."

"Lost."

"Exactly. But grandchildren, Joe. They'll need us to protect them." Harry scrubbed his face. "I sound ridiculous, don't I?"

Joe pulled Harry into his arms. "Not in the least. We're a pair of middle-aged lions who have to watch over our pride."

"You understand, don't you? Just knowing that there will be someone who wants to hold my hand, who will need my help, who'll ask me why the sky's blue - "

"And you'll lull them to sleep with the science behind it - "

"I'm having a moment here, Joe." Harry put the scotch down and rested his head on his shoulder.

Joe rubbed his cheek against Harry's head, loving everything about this moment.

Harry let out a happy sigh. "This changes everything."

 

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

"Tell me again why we had to come to Chicago?" Joe fiddled with his tie and complained.

Harry chuckled, "Because my daughter wants a very special wedding dress, one that she apparently can't find in Central City, that's why."

"And I'm here, because?"

"Because I need moral support."

"And I guess Barry and Cisco and Iris couldn't provide you with that?"

"Nope." Harry kissed Joe on the lips, softly, sweetly and with promise. "You are my partner, you are the man I love. And haven't you made it your life's work to look after the people _you_ love?"

Joe couldn't keep the smile off of his lips. "You are very good at many things, Harry Wells, with the whole sciencing thing, the baking, the dad stuff, but chief amongst your many talents is your ability to emotionally blackmail me."

"Glad you realize that, Detective West, and 'sciencing' is still not a word." Harry was grinning. "Here, let me fix that." He pushed Joe's hands away and re-knotted his tie.

"Why are we getting all dressed up to do this?"

"Because apparently the bridal shop is very high class. Didn't you read the instructions that she sent?"

"No." Joe had seen the email, rolled his eyes at the header and marked it as read.

"We have to _behave_ ourselves."

"So what does that mean? No PDAs?"

Harry looked puzzled. "Personal digital assistants? I'm pretty sure that Gideon is still in the Time Vault."

Joe rolled his eyes. "No, 'public displays of affection'."

"Ah, well – if that's the case, Jesse's just going to have to be disappointed. Because I plan on crying a lot and will need you to hug me and hold my hand."

Joe suspected that Harry was exaggerating, just a little. Harrison Wells was too self-contained to really let himself go, at least in public. But in private, he was rapidly developing the reputation for being a complete ball of mush. He spent hours listening to Barry rhapsodizing about his impending fatherhood, sharing his own experiences in a way that Joe never could. He hovered over Iris, at least as much as she allowed. Just last week, she'd confessed that while Harry's attention and paternal affection were a little disconcerting, they kind of charmed her, too.

And then there was the hundreds of thousands of dollars' worth of medical equipment Harry had purchased with his own money to equip a birthing and neo-natal suite at S.T.A.R. Labs, because there was no way that Iris was going to be allowed to give birth at a hospital, not if he had anything to say about it. Barry's speedster genes might create problems that a normal obstetrician might not be able to handle. Not to mention paying for Cisco's training as a doula.

"You're a little crazy, you know that?" Joe batted Harry's hands away and looked at himself in the mirror, thinking, _Not bad, except for the ten pounds I've put on from eating all of Harry's baked goods._

"Yeah, I know that. Been this way for a while." Harry, as usual, left off the tie, preferring an open collar with his impeccable Armani suit and his ridiculous hair.

A knock at their hotel room door interrupted their fussing. Joe sighed. "That would be one or more of our offspring."

Joe opened the door and found Jesse and Iris on the other side, both of them blooming in their own way.

Iris asked, with a hint of the patented West family snark, "Are the both of you decent?"

Jesse elbowed her gently. "Are they ever?"

Joe pretends to look offended. "You know, we don't have to do this. Harry and I could spend the day exploring Chicago. Catch a Bulls game, eat a deep-dish pizza."

Iris scoffed. "You don't scare me, Dad."

"Baby, I'm only here for moral support." He wrapped an arm around his obviously pregnant daughter. "You did me a favor by eloping."

Jesse went over to her father and Joe watched the two of them with fond delight. In the last two months, Harry had mostly shed his melancholy over his child's impending nuptials. It had been a slow process and there were moments when the sadness seemed to take over, but they had become rarer and rarer as the weeks passed.

Jesse asked, "Are you ready for this?"

Harry shrugged and looked over at Joe, who shrugged back. "I guess so."

"The guys are waiting downstairs; we've got a car arranged."

Joe fetched their coats and they met up with Barry and Cisco in the hotel lobby. Caitlin and Hartley and Wally had stayed behind in Central City. Wally, naturally, had not been invited to help pick out his bride's wedding dress, and Caitlin and Hartley had remained because _someone_ had to man the comms for any emergency requiring a speedster.

Like Joe and Harry, Cisco and Barry were wearing suits, although Cisco's was a slightly flashy burgundy that he'd picked out against Hartley and Caitlin's advice. Joe thought it was a hoot, especially with the tie and braces decorated in tiny lightning bolts.

They arrived at the bridal shop, and seated on a large and very uncomfortable couch, surround by all the frou-frou accouterments of the wedding industry, Joe felt like he was on some strange reality show when Jesse made the introductions.

"This is my dad, Harry." Harry gave a fierce grin, but with his arms folded across his chest, Joe was fairly certain he would have preferred being introduced as "Harrison".

"And this is my dad's partner, Joe. Who's also my fiancé's father, which means my dad is romantically involved with my soon-to-be father-in-law." Jesse said this like she'd never thought of it before. Joe just rolled his eyes.

"This is Iris, my matron of honor, who is Joe's daughter and my fiancé's sister. She's married to Barry, who's Joe's foster son and my father's business partner.

"And this is Cisco, who works with my dad. He isn't related to or in a relationship with anyone here, but he's an essential part of our family. And his boyfriend and girlfriend, who is my other bridesmaid, both work with my dad, too. And they couldn't come – because of, well – reasons."

Jesse finished with a grin, obviously quite pleased with her unique family.

The bridal consultant, who'd introduced herself as Natasha, seemed to take everything in stride, warmly greeting everyone and offering them coffee. Natasha then took Jesse into a fitting room, leaving them to their own devices.

Joe leaned back against the couch and draped an arm over Harry's shoulder. Cisco was sitting in the middle, his phone at the ready to capture all of the craziness about to ensue, and from the way his thumbs were dancing over the surface, he was probably texting with Hartley or Caitlin or both. And of course, at the far end, Iris and Barry were cuddling. Joe wondered if those kids regretted eloping, missing out on this. Watching Harry go through this, Joe wasn't sure if he regretted missing out on being the father of the bride.

But right now, Harry was smiling, the expression kind of sappy.

"What so amusing?"

"Listening to Jesse describe us. Me and you, you and Barry and Iris, you and Wally, Cisco and Hartley and Caitlin, we are all interconnected. We all overlap."

Cisco apparently couldn't resist butting in. "And for a man who came here, behaved like an utter dick, and immediately declared he didn't want or need anyone's help with anything, you certainly have managed to amass quite a pile of friends and family."

Harry couldn't help himself and snarked back, "And you count yourself among those, Ramon?"

"When you're not being a dick, Wells, yes. I do."

Joe did his best not to laugh. He always enjoyed watching Harry and Cisco go at each other like a pair of wet cats. "Kids, if you don't behave yourselves, we're all going home. No ice cream for anyone."

From the end of the couch, he heard Barry give in to the laugh Joe had manfully held back. "It's so nice to have another adult on this field trip."

Joe looked past the grinning faces and said, "You think you're an adult?"

"Actually, I was referring to my wife."

Iris patted Barry's shoulder. "A wise man knows his limitations."

The laughter was cut short when Jesse came out. Harry took Joe’s hand and gripped it so hard that Joe thought his fingers might break.

"Well, what do you think?" Natasha helped Jesse onto a small platform and she twirled around, showing off acres of satin and lace, beads and sequins glittering under the lights.

Harry cleared his throat. "You look beautiful."

Jesse's smile was sweet and Joe could read the lines of communication between father and daughter. Next to him, Cisco let out a small sigh of reverence. "I'm calling you Science Princess from now on."

"Not if you want to live, Ramon. I'm no one's princess." Jesse stuck her tongue out at them, breaking the tension.

Ten minutes later, Jesse came out in a different gown, one the consultant described as "mermaid-style" and then the fun began, because no one liked it except Harry, who might not have liked it but was trying not to hurt his daughter's feelings.

"Dad, you can say it, it's pretty hideous on me."

"Okay,” Harry finally admitted, “it's pretty hideous."

Iris offered to go back with Jesse and that left the four men sitting there like lumps on a log. Joe got up and fetched more coffee. "There are cookies back there. I would have brought some back, but you've kind of spoiled me for baked goods."

Cisco and Barry went over to the small buffet table at the back of the show room to help themselves. Even though they were frequent beneficiaries of Harry's stress baking, they were apparently far less discerning about quality.

Alone with Harry, Joe had to ask, "You doing okay?"

"Yeah."

"You don't sound all that convinced."

"I am. Okay, that is. It's a rite of passage. And I'm happy."

"But you really just want to go back to the hotel and cry."

Harry shook his head. "You know me too well, Joe."

"I didn't get to do this with Iris, but I am pretty certain that if I had, I'd have been on the floor, sobbing like a two year old coming down from a sugar high."

A few minutes later, Jesse came out in a third – and completely different – dress. The team offered their critiques and that set the pattern for the next few hours. Joe kept an arm draped over Harry's shoulders and he could feel his partner's escalating tension. He wanted to call for a breather, but he didn't have to. At the end of the second hour, Jesse emerged from the fitting room in the first dress she'd tried on and declared, "I think this is it."

Harry got up and went over to his daughter, taking both her hands. "My little Jesse Quick, all grown up. You're so beautiful that it breaks my heart. If this is what you want, then this is what you'll have."

Jesse wrapped her arms around Harry and hugged him tight. Not for the first time today, Joe felt himself tear up, but for the first time, let the tears fall. He felt something poke him in the arm; it was Barry with a box of tissues.

Of course, the selection of the dress didn't mean that they could leave. There were headpieces and veils to consider and Iris, bless her heart, suggested that these items could remain a mystery for the rest of the party. To everyone's relief, Jesse told the rest of the party to go do something manly. They'd meet them back at the hotel around dinnertime.

Barry and Cisco asked them if they wanted to join them at the Museum of Science and Industry. Joe didn't even bother to look at Harry. "Nah, us old guys are going to use this opportunity to recover from the stress and strain of the day."

Cisco looked like he was about to make a rather vulgar comment about what they'd be doing, but maybe it was Harry's expression of doom – one he hadn't had to use in a good long while – that stopped the young man in his tracks.

They parted company and since the weather wasn't as unpleasant as it could be in Chicago a few weeks before Christmas, they walked back to their hotel. Joe smiled to himself as Harry reached for his hand.

They got some looks because of that – mostly smiles, but there were a few glares, too. One was from a woman who seemed on the verge of shoving a bible in their faces. Fortunately for her, they were at a crosswalk and had to wait for the light to change. Harry took the opportunity to kiss him.

Joe knew just what he was doing, but enjoyed it anyway. "Mmm, can't wait until we get back to the hotel room."

Once there, Harry proceeded fulfill the promise of that kiss. "Let me." He eased Joe's jacket off. "You've taken such good care of me today, and over the last few months, let me have the pleasure of taking care of you."

And he took Joe apart, turning him into a needy, shivering wreck with his beautiful mouth and his wicked hands and a body that seemed to have been created just to bring him pleasure. After a soul-shattering orgasm, Harry looked up at him from between his thighs, his hair even messier, his mouth red and swollen, his eyes blazing. "Are you okay?"

"Honestly, I'm not sure. Give me a few and ask again." Joe thought if he was going to die from too much pleasure, he could go right now and be content.

Harry got up and went to the bathroom with way too much energy and Joe closed his eyes, letting the pleasure continue to roll through him. Harry came back and Joe acknowledged his presence (and the warm washcloth) with a blissed-out moan of contentment.

A few minutes later (or so Joe thought), Harry was back in bed, tucked around him, his arm draped over his waist, his breath warm and steady against his shoulder. "I love you, Joe West. I have for a long time."

Joe stroked the fingers resting on his belly. "I love you, too."

"I came back for you."

"Huh?" Joe wasn't sure what Harry was getting at.

"I came back here because I wanted to have you in my life, I wanted to be part of your life. As a friend, and if I was really lucky, as a lover. There was a very brief moment when I almost changed my mind, when Jesse said she wanted to stay. And I would have, but I would have always regretted it." Harry pressed his face against Joe's shoulder and he could feel the heat from his cheeks.

"I think I'm the lucky one."

"I'm not so sure about that. After Jesse and Wally got engaged – and even in the weeks before that, when I knew what was coming – I was an emotional wreck. I'd taken and taken and taken from you. Leaned on you, ignored you, was a grumpy, moody selfish asshole."

Joe rolled over because this was a conversation that needed to happen face-to-face. "Yeah, you were, but that didn't matter. I knew what I was signing up for when we started this." He touched Harry's face. "Don't take this the wrong way, but I raised Barry. I know all about moods and anger and frustration and helplessness. In comparison, you, Harry Wells, are a walk in the park."

"So, you're saying you're 'raising me' too?"

Joe knew that Harry was joking, but he still felt the need to explain. "No, what I'm saying is that the experience made me uniquely equipped to love difficult people."

Harry touched his face, his lips. "You are. And you are unique, Joe."

He kissed Harry's fingers. "And so are you."

Harry leaned up on one elbow and looked at him. "I have an idea. You might find it a little presumptuous, though."

"Oh?"

"I've been thinking – "

"You're always thinking."

Harry let out a tiny annoyed huff at the interruption. "I was thinking, maybe I move in with you and give Jesse and Wally my house. It seems kind of pointless for the kids to get an apartment when I've got a nice house that I barely sleep in."

Joe couldn't keep the grin off his face. "I'd been thinking along similar lines. Not about you giving Jesse and Wally your house, but you selling it and moving in with me."

"So, we'll do this?"

"Yeah. Definitely." Joe looked over his shoulder at the clock on the night table. "Damn, we need to meet the kids in about a half-hour. Just enough time to shower and get dressed."

"How about we let them have dinner without us?" Harry waggled his brows suggestively.

As much as the idea was appealing, Joe nixed it. "You will be the father of the bride only once. Enjoy the experience to the fullest."

 

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

The children were married. Harry could finally relax and let himself enjoy the moment.

He'd walked his Jesse Quick up the aisle and handed her over to Wally in a surprisingly old-fashioned manner. The boy had looked at him so gravely, and then, as he took Jesse's hand, he grinned – that lightning fast smile – and time had started moving forward again.

The traditional ceremony had been amended; Joe "gave" Wally to Jesse as Harry "gave" Jesse to Wally. The celebrant spoke the words required by law and then offered a wedding blessing that invoked no god but spoke of the eternal power of love.

Jesse and Wally spoke their own vows together:

_We pledge to wake each morning face-to-face,_   
_to shun the orders of the busy sun,_   
_we promise to disturb each other's peace._   
_And we will, yes, gaze at the pining moon,_   
_will pick out brine-blown glass-gems from the sand,_   
_will read our future scratched onto a stone._   
_We're naked, till we wear each other's scent_   
_and recognize it quicker than our own._   
_You start and finish me, you're my extent._   
_I speak these words to many and for one._

Harry had listened to them practice the verse for days, every evening this past week and he thought he might scream if he heard it one more time. But hearing it in the chapel, his daughter, Joe's son, each speaking so reverently, eyes locked, he thought his heart might just burst.

After the ceremony, there was the obligatory session with the photographer, who seemed slightly disconcerted when he was asked to take a rather romantic photograph of the bride's father and the groom's father. Not upset, just confused.

The party was a surprisingly lively affair, with more guests than he'd ever imagined. Jesse's friends, Wally's friends and colleagues. Joe, of course, had to invite a number of the cops he worked with.

Barry and Iris – in the late stages of pregnancy – watched the whole proceeding with smug amusement, having avoided all of the hoopla when they tied the knot. Joe had been a little peeved (okay, a lot peeved) at being denied the chance to walk his baby girl down the aisle, but he’d understood, too. Which was probably why he'd plunged headfirst into planning this affair with an enthusiasm usually displayed by the mother of the bride, not the father of the groom.

Even now, Joe was working the crowd, posing for photographs at every table, dancing with random guests as the evening wound to a close. Of course Harry had done his part, too, dancing with Jesse while Joe danced with Wally, and then they’d switched and Harry had taken an unholy delight at Wally's awkwardness – Wally was clearly more accustomed to leading but had been trying desperately not to offend his new father-in-law. They’d shuffled along for a few steps until Harry turned Wally back over to his new bride and gratefully found relief in Joe's arms.

There were toasts and speeches; Harry managed to give his without breaking down, but only because he'd practiced it as often as Jesse and Wally practiced their vows. And his years of experience with the media helped, too. Joe wasn't quite as steadfast and was sobbing three-quarters of the way through. Harry was going to have quite a bit of fun teasing Joe about that, since he'd refused to practice, claiming he just needed to speak from the heart.

The wedding cake had been served about a half-hour ago. He'd offered to make it, but Jesse politely suggested that as the father of the bride, he had way too many responsibilities to barricade himself in the kitchen for the week before the wedding. In other words, she wasn't letting him hide from the inevitable.

Harry toyed with the remains of the dessert on his plate. It wasn't bad, but he could have done better.

"Hey, _Dad_." Harry’s brand new son-in-law sat down next to him, his bow tie loosened, jacket unbuttoned, looking very satisfied with himself.

" _Son_." Harry did like how that single syllable sounded as he spoke it.

"Good party."

He nodded. "One of the best I've ever been to." Harry kept his eyes glued to the dance floor, where Joe was swaying back and forth with Iris, who was vastly pregnant – twins. Jesse, looking like a princess in her wedding gown, cut in and pulled Joe away from the dance floor. Barry, who'd been watching from the sidelines, escorted Iris back to their table. Mellow from champagne and happiness, Harry vaguely wondered why Jesse needed to talk to Joe, but wasn't at all worried.

"You doing okay?"

"Yes, I am."

Wally nodded. "Good." He let out a small sigh and sat up straight. "I need to ask you something important."

Harry had no clue what this was about. "Go ahead."

"When are you going to make an honest man out of my dad?"

"Excuse me?" Harry felt a scalding flush climb over his face.

"Jesse and I have been wondering for a while. The two of you are pretty perfect together. And it's not like you're getting any younger. You need to man up and do the right thing." Wally sounded so fierce.

Harry opened and closed his mouth. "I – uh – it's not like I haven't thought about it." Truth was, he'd been thinking about it a lot. Since the beginning, when anything beyond friendship seemed an impossible dream.

"Good. Maybe it's time to do more than just think about it. And just so you know, Jesse's having this conversation with my dad right now. In case he was thinking that she'd be silly enough to object to the two of you tying the knot."

"You know, you could be making things difficult for us."

"Yeah, but somehow, I don't think so. You're living together. It's time to put a ring on it." Wally got up, nodded at him, and went to join his bride on the dance floor. Joe was nowhere to be seen. He was just about to go look for him when Cisco dropped into the seat that Wally just abandoned.

"You okay?"

"Why does everyone keep asking me that?" Since this was Ramon, Harry didn't bother to disguise his annoyance.

"Because you’re looking a little freaked, man."

Harry glared at his still more-than-occasional bête noir and wondered if Cisco were in on the plot. "Do you have something to say?"

"About what?" Cisco leaned back and smirked.

"About – " Harry shook his head. "Never mind. I'm going to find Joe and see what we need to do to start getting people to leave."

"Rude, much?"

"Go find your boyfriend and girlfriend and go home." Harry got up but didn't move. Joe was now back on the dance floor, twirling Tina McGee around like they'd been partners for years.

"What's the matter?" Cisco followed his gaze. "You're not – "

 _Jealous?_ "No, of course not."

The song ended and the DJ announced that this was the last tune of the evening, fittingly, _Tonight, I Celebrate My Love_. Joe turned. When he spotted Harry, he held out his hand and Harry went to him. This wasn't a song that required any fancy steps, rather one that almost demanded the cling and shuffle, which Harry didn't mind. Not at all.

Joe smelled of cologne and sweat and champagne. He smelled like happiness and Harry breathed deeply.

Joe murmured, "We did good tonight, didn't we?"

"Yeah, really good."

Joe pressed a kiss against his neck. "I'm glad it's over, though."

"Me, too."

"Can't wait to get home."

"Yeah." Home was home now, not a house three blocks away.

"Get you home, get you naked. Make you scream."

Harry swallowed hard at that, and tried to sound blasé when he asked, "Have you been counting the days until you could that?"

"Hell, yes. Might even break out the handcuffs if you're very good."

"Mmm, or very bad."

Joe chuckled. "That, too."

The song came to an end and the lighting subtly increased, signaling an end to the evening. "I think we need to say goodbye to our guests. And our kids. I don't think having a boner is good etiquette in such situations."

Joe laughed again. "Very true."

Harry wondered if Jesse actually did have that conversation with Joe, because Joe seemed wholly unfazed. He was as he always was, happy and unflappable, affectionate, comfortably open with his feelings. Not at all like a man who just might have been lectured by his new daughter-in-law about marriage.

Joe tugged on him. "Let's go make our farewells, tell the kids not to do anything stupid, and go home."

It took nearly an hour to say farewell to the last of the guests, then wave off Jesse and Wally, who were leaving on an old-fashioned road trip, driving through the Pacific Northwest for two weeks. They also needed to take Barry and Iris home and it was close to one in the morning by the time they walked through the door.

"Mmm." Joe toed off his shoes, dropped his tuxedo jacket on a chair, took off his bow tie and collapsed on the couch. "Good to be home."

Harry looked at his partner in mock-disappointment. "I thought you were going to make me scream."

Joe gazed at him through half-lidded eyes. "Yes, I did promise to do that."

"And you are a man who keeps his promises."

Joe's lips curved into a particularly sweet smile. "That I am." He held out his hand. "Come here."

Harry did as asked and sat down next to his partner. He wondered if this was the right time. _Probably not._ Maybe after the babies were born. Now that the wedding was over, they had to focus on Barry and Iris and the grandbabies. _Twins_.

"I know what you're thinking about."

"You do, Detective?"

"Yes. You get a particularly sappy look on your face when you are contemplating your impending grandfather-hood."

He ducked his head, delighted anew by Joe's generosity. Barry and Iris', as well – since they had also declared that he was their babies' grandpa, too.

No, now was not the time. After the babies were born, then he'd ask. He rested his head against Joe's shoulder, and as Joe wrapped an arm around him and leaned against him, Harry let out a small sigh of contentment.

They sat together, basking in the silence, in the happiness of the moment.

"Have something for you."

"Oh?" Harry tried to stir himself to curiosity. He was just too comfortable, too wiped out.

Joe shifted as he reached into his pocket. "I also have a question to ask you."

"Ask away." Harry closed his eyes.

"Will you marry me?" At that, he felt Joe poke him with something small, something with sharp corners.

He opened his eyes and felt himself staring at a ring box.

"Joe?" He sat up and took the box, warm from the hours spent in the other man's pocket.

Joe looked at him, his expression surprisingly wary for a man who'd just asked Harry to marry him as casually as he'd ask if Harry wanted another beer.

Harry opened the box to find a ring. But not any kind of ring he might have expected to find. It was a signet ring with the S.T.A.R. Labs logo and a lightning bolt on each of the points. Someone – Joe, obviously – had had this made for him.

"Well?"

"It's incredible." He took the ring out and slid it on. "You've had this planned for a while, I think."

"I've been thinking about it for almost as long as we've been together. I had the ring made last year."

"Why did you wait so long?"

"Because I didn't think you were ready."

"I've been thinking about this for a long time, too. But you're right; I don't think I was ready."

"And are you ready now?" Harry could hear the worry, the fear of rejection in Joe's voice. All unnecessary emotions.

"Yes."

Joe picked up his hand - the one with the ring on it - and smiled. "Is that a 'yes, I'm ready' or a 'yes, I'll marry you'?"

"It's both." Harry leaned over and kissed Joe. On Joe’s lips, he tasted the future, and it was delicious.

 

 

FIN

**Author's Note:**

> The poem that Jesse and Wally recite as their vows was written by Michael Symmons Roberts, and is called _The Vows, A Coda_.
> 
> And as always, feel free to follow me at my tumblr [Obscene Circus Ponies](http://elrhiarhodan.tumblr.com/), and on my old school (and much beloved) [LiveJournal](http://elrhiarhodan.livejournal.com/) account.


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